At Co-op, we believe in building long-term relationships with local farmers. We understand their connection to the land and the communities that they serve. That’s why we strive to bring their top-quality products to Western-Canadian tables.
One farm helping to fulfill the growing interest of customers in local, high-quality food is Dinsmore Farming Co. Ltd., a Hutterite colony near Dinsmore, Sask. Dinsmore Farming provides fresh carrots to CO-OP® Food Stores from mid-August to December. In those few short months, Dinsmore Farming supplied 250,000 pounds of carrots.
“Together with Dinsmore Farming, we have created a unique product that our food customers enjoy,” said Mike Furi, Farm to Fork Manager at Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL). “It’s an early harvest carrot that is sweeter than a conventional carrot. This is straight out of the ground, washed and bagged. It’s like pulling a carrot right out of your garden at the first sign of harvest.”
Dinsmore Farming has been working with Co-op since 2010, when it began selling to local Co-op stores. In 2013, Dinsmore Farming started supplying carrots to Co-op’s distribution centre in Saskatoon, which distributes Co-op’s carrots all across Western Canada.
Meet Dinsmore Farming
The Dinsmore Hutterite Colony was established in 1978. Since then, it has always grown vegetables for its own use. Through the years, demand for the colony’s top-quality products has increased, and so too has its production.
The colony supplies Co-op with fresh carrots in the late summer and fall, and fresh beans in the summer, it also has a new dairy, and you can find its eggs in Co-op Food Stores under the Star Eggs brand.
Sustainably Grown
With deep farming roots, Co-op recognizes the importance of working with farmers who value land stewardship. Dinsmore Farming is one such example, tending to the land and using the right inputs to grow carrots in a sustainable manner.
“Instead of fumigating the soil, we feed our soil with green feed to encourage good biological life,” explained Samuel Hofer from Dinsmore Farming. “The good biological life actually takes over and kills the bad biological life, and in turn, you get more nutrient-rich products.”
- MORE: Grown with Purpose
Carrots are not grown on the same field every year, and Dinsmore Farming practices a crop rotation that helps to build the soil. By building nutrient-rich, good-quality soil, the farm has reduced its need for other inputs typically used in vegetable production. In addition to being a sustainable practice, building nutrient-rich soil also contributes to the top-quality taste of its carrots, according to Hofer.
From Farm To Table
Hofer and his team take pride in what they grow. “There’s a pleasure in being out under the open sky seeding the carrots, but the real fulfillment is when you package them, load them onto the truck and take them to the warehouse. We’ve harvested carrots on a Saturday, and those same carrots went to the warehouse on a Wednesday. So that’s as fresh as it can get!”
Co-op is proud to provide customers with sustainable, farm-fresh produce. By supporting local farms, we give our communities access to safe, nutritious produce throughout the growing season. After all, as Hofer said, “Healthy food is what makes life tick.” While shopping at your local Co-op Food Store, look for products marked “Produce of Western Canada” and “Grown at home for your local Co-op” to bring local products home to your table.
